American Civil Liberties Union

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Privacy Technology : Consumer Privacy : Press Releases

ACLU of Illinois Calls on Legislature to Protect Financial Privacy (02/23/2000)
CHICAGO -- Hailing lawmakers' effort to "protect consumers across Illinois," the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today announced a formal endorsement for legislation introduced in the State Senate that would enhance preservation of financial privacy for the average bank customer.

Monitoring of Web Users Stirs Privacy Concerns (02/07/2000)
NEW YORK, NY -- Privacy advocates have long been concerned about DoubleClick, a company that tracks consumers' movements around the Web. According to The New York Times, however, that concern has escalated in recent weeks after the company announced that it has begun adding information about consumers' offline behavior to its huge database.

Supreme Court Defends Driver's License Privacy, But Fails to Protect "Man on the Street," ACLU Says (01/12/2000)
NEW YORK -- Ruling in two key cases today, the United States Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the validity of a federal law prohibiting states from disclosing driver's license information, but broadened the right of police to stop people on the street for questioning.

ACLU Assails Senate for Approving Corporate Money Scheme At the Expense of Americans' Privacy (11/03/1999)
WASHINGTON -- A plan that gives banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions blanket permission to trade customers' financial information with affiliated companies is scheduled for a final vote by the Senate today. The American Civil Liberties Union harshly criticized the lack of concern Senators from both parties have demonstrated for customers' privacy rights.

Consumer and Privacy Organizations, Legal Scholars Urge Appeals Court to Protect Consumers' Telephone Privacy (10/25/1999)
WASHINGTON -- In a friend-of-the-court brief filed today, 15 consumer and privacy organizations and 22 legal scholars urged a federal appeals court to reconsider a decision that would allow telephone companies to use private telephone records for marketing purposes.

ACLU Joins Eagle Forum, Others, in Denouncing Privacy Provisions of Financial Services Bill (10/20/1999)
As early as today, a House-Senate conference committee will take a final vote on the bill, which would allow banks, insurance companies and mutual funds to affiliate with each other and to share data across what used to be a corporate divide. In several votes over the last week, the conference committee has repeatedly rejected strong privacy amendments. 

Financial Privacy Statement, Nadine Strossen, President, ACLU (10/13/1999)

ACLU, Eagle Forum and Ralph Nader Agree: 21st Century Privacy Problems Require 21st Century Privacy Protections (10/13/1999)
Last month, the Wall Street Journal surveyed Americans to learn our biggest concerns in the coming millenium. Topping the list was not crime, not terrorism, not global war. Rather, the greatest fear we Americans have, as we face the new millenium, is losing our privacy. 

Senate to Give Final Approval To Long-Sought Privacy Protections (10/04/1999)
"Today we scored two points for the average American and Big Brother got zero," said ACLU Legislative Counsel Gregory T. Nojeim. "In one fell swoop, drivers gained additional protections for their personal information and the immediate threat of national ID cards - which has long posed one of the greatest risks to personal privacy in this country - was diminished." 

Americans Must Wake Up to "Sleeper" Issue of Privacy Rights (09/23/1999)
WASHINGTON -- A state sells its driver's license records to a stalker; he selects his victim -- a Hollywood starlet -- from the photos and murders her.

ACLU Calls on House Panel to Protect Financial Privacy (07/20/1999)
Today's hearings before the House Banking and Financial Services Committee were called only weeks after a contentious battle on the House floor about financial privacy during debate over a major overhaul of the financial services sector. 

With House Engaged in Privacy Battle, Congress Must Protect Medical, Financial Information (07/01/1999)
The legislation before the House today, H.R. 10, the Financial Services Act of 1999, would remove the legal walls that currently separate banks, securities firms and insurance companies. The ACLU has taken no position on the underlying goals of H.R. 10, but said it is deeply concerned that the legislation contains no meaningful privacy protections and today sent a letter to the House urging that representatives oppose the bill. 

The Eyes Have It: Body Scans at the ATM (06/21/1999)
HOUSTON, TX - Jordan Pearce, an 18-year-old freshman at Rice University, stood in front of a cash machine, stared straight ahead and moments later pocketed $40 and walked away. Only, Pearce didn't have an ATM card.

ACLU Banks on Internet to Defeat Anti-Privacy Proposal (06/14/1999)
WASHINGTON, DC -- InterActive Week today marveled at the American Civil Liberties Union rapid-fire ability to rally troops in a recent online call to action against federal banks officials' "Know Your Customer" campaign.

American Public Demands Financial Privacy Protections (06/09/1999)
The hearings before the Senate Banking Committee were called only a few weeks after bank regulators withdrew proposed "Know Your Customer" regulations. The proposed regulations would have made even more intrusive existing bank regulatory practices that require banks to monitor their customers' financial transactions, develop customer profiles and report to the government large transactions. 

Are Vehicle "Black Boxes" a Black Hole for Privacy? (06/03/1999)
DETROIT--An in-car surveillance system presently running inside many General Motors vehicles is a significant erosion of personal privacy, critics and consumer advocates said Thursday, Wired News reports.

ACLU Says Banks Continue to Spy on Customers (04/20/1999)

ACLU Says that Banks Continue to Spy on Customers (04/20/1999)
In testimony today before two House subcommittees, ACLU Legislative Counsel Gregory T. Nojeim said that the withdrawal of the regulations does not mean that the public is safe from privacy intrusions and called on Congress to prohibit bank spying and to take steps to increase privacy for all bank customers. 

ACLU of Ohio Questions City of Parma Policy on Social Security Numbers (03/17/1999)
CLEVELAND--In a letter directed to the Parma City Law Department, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today called into question an ordinance requiring landlords to collect the social security numbers of their tenants.

ACLU Launches Special Web Collection On Privacy and Data Protection (03/08/1999)
The new web collection features several interactive elements, including: 

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